Scott Gessler and the tactics of voter suppression

There’s no more precious right than the right to vote. It’s the foundation on which all our other rights rest; it’s the mortar that holds democracy together. But if Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler, like so many other partisan-motivated public officials, has his way, our hard-won voting rights will crumble in plain sight.

The tactics of voter suppression take different forms. It’s voter ID laws, restrictions on early voting, reductions in the number of polling places. In Colorado, it’s the “verification of voter eligibility” forms that Gessler has mailed to 4,000 registered voters who he says might be noncitizens. Whatever the tactic, we know the hoped-for outcome: the attempted suppression of the black and Latino vote in a critical election year.

The NAACP has a response: a nonpartisan, grassroots effort called This is My Vote, designed to register as many people as possible in places like Florida, Pennsylvania and Colorado, too.

No one wants votes cast illegally. Still, everyone should want to see the lawful right to vote protected at all cost.

Rosemary Harris Lytle, Colorado Springs

The writer is president of the Colorado/Montana/Wyoming State Conference of the NAACP.

This letter was published in the Aug. 26 edition.

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Rosemary ends with the truth that the lawful right to vote be protected at all costs. She also states that no one wants to have votes cast illegally. Why can’t we have both. I’m positive Scott Gessler wants both. But people like Rosemary are disingenuous about not wanting illegal votes being cast.

If Rosemary, and others who feel the way she does, really believes that no illegal votes should be cast, then why would she assert some of the other things she did? Why would she assert that “we know the hoped-for outcome: the attempted suppression of the black and Latino vote in a critical election year.” She, and others who will blog on this subject, cannot prove such a baseless assertion. But they will try. And why would Rosemary also assert that “the tactics of voter suppression take different forms. It’s voter ID
laws, restrictions on early voting, reductions in the number of polling
places.” Let me make an assertion of my own. I assert that some of the voter suppression tactics she mentions are tactics that Democrats also apply. Why not. They did so in the south before civil rights laws were passed.

Her lsat assertion is the most outrageous. She asserts that “whatever the tactic, we know the hoped-for outcome: the attempted
suppression of the black and Latino vote in a critical election year.” That for sure wouldn’t be a Republican wished for outcome. For one thing, we Republicans are aware of many Blacks and Latinos who are sorry they voted for Barack Obama and plan on voting for Mitt Romney.

Anonymous

How does reducing the number of early voting days help voting integrity, thor? How does reducing the number of polling places help voting integrity? It doesn’t, but it makes it harder for working class people to vote.
Gessler is on a witch hunt. I bet none of those 4,000 people Gessler is so concerned about have names like Jones or Conally. I bet few of those 4,000 are Republican.

Pb

Those 4,000 people have yet to show documentation that they are legal residents. How is that a witch hunt? Do you have proof that the Jones and Conallys haven’t provided their documentation? Do you have proof that Gessler is giving Republicans a free pass? Sounds to me that you are the one on a witch hunt.

thor

I am and have always been a working class person. I have always found a way to vote if its that important, which it is. Any other excuses you need me to shoot down?

StillUndecided

Many states, Colorado included, have laws requiring that the “working class” be PAID for up to two hours time to vote. The assertion that these attempts to limit voter fraud make it harder on the working class is simply false.
Colorado Revised Statutes 1-7-102:
(1) Eligible electors entitled to vote at an election shall be entitled to absent themselves for the purpose of voting from any service or employment in which they are then engaged or employed on the day of the election for a period of two hours during the time the polls are open. Any such absence shall not be sufficient reason for the discharge of any person from service or employment. Eligible electors, who so absent themselves shall not be liable for any penalty, nor shall any deduction be made from their usual salary or wages, on account of their absence. Eligible electors who are employed and paid by the hour shall receive their regular hourly wage for the period of their absence, not to exceed two hours. Application shall be made for the leave of absence prior to the day of election. The employer may specify the hours during which the employee may be absent, but the hours shall be at the beginning or end of the work shift, if the employee so requests.

(2) This section shall not apply to any person whose hours of employment on the day of the election are such that there are three or more hours between the time of opening and the time of closing of the polls during which the elector is not required to be on the job.

Anonymous

“There’s no more precious right than the right to vote. It’s the foundation on which all our other rights rest; it’s the mortar that holds democracy together.”
——–
The “right” that Citizens of the United States (and any other who are legally entitled) to vote does NOT extend to tourists, business personnel, diplomats, or the “undocuented” who are in this country either legally or illegally……anymore than I would have the “right” to either legally or illegally enter Mexico, Germany, or China and vote in their elections.

The “fact” that Gessler has apparently quickly found 4,000 “questionable” “voters” who appear on the voter registration list even though they apparently used “foreign documentation” to acquire a driver’s license (and, therefore, appear to be INeligible to legally vote) only shows that a problem may actually exist…..that One Side seems to “conveniently” want to ignore and have swept under the rug……because, as the Letter indicates, One Side appears to BENEFIT from the ILLEGALITY of VOTER FRAUD.

It’s One Thing for One Side to win an election “fair and square.” It’s something else entirely when One Side actually appears to WANT Voter Fraud…..CONDONES Voter Fraud…..and ENCOURAGES Voter Fraud……to “win” an election…….”Lance style.”

carsonestelle

I volunteer daily to re register voters that have become INACTIVE. When did permanent mail in ballot stop being permanent? I was a poll watcher at the Taj in 08 and will probably be there in November. What is really going on? Disenfranchisement? I am black and poor.

Yaakov

I have to disagree with Ms Lytle. There are many democrats who want don’t want to stop felons and illegal immigrants from voting because they think that the illegal voters will vote for democrats.

Anonymous

And all Republicans are pure, right?
There are Republicans who would throw up roadblocks to honest voters because they won’t voter the right way.

FedUpWithExtremism

During the 2004 election cycle, Scott Gessler was quoted in the Post teaming that Republicans should vote often and let the state figure it out. We then elected that very same partisan hack to run elections. We now wonder why he behaves like this. What’s the definition of insanity?,

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